The Clubman Coinflip

[Rumblebuffin]

I must admit to being a clubman gentleman. Some prefer Aqua Velva, some Brutt, but for the classic options it's Clubman for me. I ordered some samples long ago (came in hand-decanted teensy squeeze bottles with homemade labels), and decided this was my stuff. Unfortunately, I've never been able to recapture what I had in those samples...
This gets into the meat of this post: finding a bottle of Clubman that's actually good. Of all the splashes I've tried, Clubman holds the distinction for inconsistency. When I open a bottle, will it be the scent I desire or will it smell like straight isopropyl, or will it smell dead?
The SR I got in my sample was smooth and possibly the best AS scent I've tried to date. The bottle I bought afterwords smelled sharp, acrid, and like dead things. The sample I acquired after that (travel-size bottle sold online) smells like alcohol and slightly dead SR.
My sample of Vanilla was amazing, and the bottle that followed was great, but not as smooth, until it got baked thanks to no AC one day (it turned dead). My current sample smells like straight isopropyl.
My first sample of VIBR was light on scent. The second is also light in scent, but it is a different scent.
My Lime Sec sample smells mostly ok, but it's flirting with that alcohol smell.

Is there anyone out there in the world of Clubman afficonados who can tell me how to get my hands on the good stuff? Is it best to buy in the spring, when everything has been shipping in the cold for a few months? Are Tuesdays better? Do certain stores and online shops have a better chance of having good products?
Before it is suggested, I'll point out that decanting into glass has had no effect for me. The scents are still bad.

I will be eternally grateful if light can be shed on this matter.

 

[Dominic]

The third Tuesday in the second month (especially in a leap year) is the best time to buy, directly from Pinaud Clubman online. Obviously, I’m just teasing. I bought Pinaud Clubman at the drugstore, and it was fine. I’ll be using it tomorrow. The other products I bought online from their clubman.com site. They were all fine (except Lilac Vegetal, which smells like a 1970s truck stop bathroom, but I think that’s what it’s supposed to smell like).

 

[NorthernSoul]

Many people think the plastic bottles affect the scent, going so far as to decant from the new plastic bottles into glass ones. Storing in a cool, dark place makes some sense, too.

BTW, if you like Lime Sec, you might like the Citrus Musk.

 

[BigJ]

Tough to beat the Pinaud line-up for quality products at more than fair prices IMHO!!

 

[BrianP]

I'm a Clubman fan and always keeps some around. I decant to glass, not sure how much of a difference that makes. That being said, I like Fine Accoutrements Clubhouse AS. It has that Clubman vibe with a menthol kick.

When comparing the two, there is a scent in there that could be perceived as "plasticky" in both. That's why I am not certain that decanting to glass makes a huge impact. I don't get a big difference between the glass decanted and plastic clubman, and clubman vs clubhouse.

 

[timetofly]

I personally have never had this issue with any of the Pinaud products I have purchased. You mentioned that you obtained samples "long ago" and they were fine. Did you purchase from this vendor again? Or did you purchase elsewhere? Probably need to find a vendor that has better turns on the products.
My personal experience - decanting into bottles certainly helps with the "skunk" smell.

 

[OkieStubble]

Find a vintage Pinaud glass bottle and decant modern Clubman into it. Magic happens!

 

[sarimento1]

For me, never ANY issue with any Pinaud splash!
all enjoyable!

 

[dmshaver]

I hope you are able to find a satisfactory bottle of Clubman. It is a mainstay in my den. I have had numerous bottles & have settled on the Classic Pinaud Clubman for me. After numerous bottles through the years I have yet to have a bad bottle. I now buy mine in the larger 12 or 13 oz. plastic bottles just so they will last me longer.

 

[Rumblebuffin]

Well, then! Seems I've just had a run of bad luck. I will stay the course, and acquire more clubman as time goes on!
Original, Vanilla, Citrus Musk, and Bay Rum are currently my favorites. It's hard to beat Clubman.

 

[cobill]

Clubman is hard to beat, need to add some to my collection.

 

[FarmerTan]

It's tough to beat Clubman. I had some that was 30 years old in plastic that I had a love/hate relationship with. Don't know if the plastic hurt it any, but sometimes I thought it smelled great, other times I was underwhelmed.

I plan on getting some soon, and trying to decant it to glass.

 

[jagwire64]

It's been my paradigm AS for decades...so much so that I have started buying the Country Club size. A few NYE ago my wife and I celebrated the calendar change at the Greenbrier in WV. I agreed to take the waters (hot sulfur bath) which was odd and rather boring after 2 minutes (I had to sit in there for 30 min). The most exciting thing happened in the locker room...they had almost the entire Pinaud product range at your disposal. It was awesome. The entire resort is like stepping back in time.

Back to the issue at hand: I have never noticed a disparity in scents.

 

[FarmerTan]

It's been my paradigm AS for decades...so much so that I have started buying the Country Club size. A few NYE ago my wife and I celebrated the calendar change at the Greenbrier in WV. I agreed to take the waters (hot sulfur bath) which was odd and rather boring after 2 minutes (I had to sit in there for 30 min). The most exciting thing happened in the locker room...they had almost the entire Pinaud product range at your disposal. It was awesome. The entire resort is like stepping back in time.

Back to the issue at hand: I have never noticed a disparity in scents.

Sounds like heaven!

I still have not gotten a newer sample of the Clubman. I think I will just buy some at the local CVS.... I wonder if they take the coupons they always give me with my Rx refills?

 

[Bhugo]

Never an issue. I decant to glass. I enjoy every selection they offer.

 

[CJB3]

I’ve never had an issue—I now decant into an old Pinaud perfume bottle: